Our Blog

Check out the top 8 trends for bathrooms as shown on Realtor.com in an article by Margaret Heidenry published in May of 2021.

Expert from the article: Ah, the bathroom. It’s often one of the smallest rooms in the house, and yet it serves so many purposes. Not only is it a place to wash up, but it can also be your own personal spa—and in a crowded home during a pandemic, a sanctuary.

If you’re in the mood to spruce up your beloved bathroom but don’t want to rip the room down to the studs, you could opt for a mini-to-medium update. By simply adding some zhuzh to a design you already love, your entire bathroom can feel like it got a face-lift.

Read More

Are you wondering where to live or what type of home you can afford in North Carolina or South Carolina? We can help you with our Mortgage Estimator tool.

First, know this: when you’re buying a home, mortgage lenders don’t look just at your income, assets, and the down payment you have. They look at all of your liabilities and obligations as well, including auto loans, credit card debt, child support, potential property taxes and insurance, and your overall credit rating. We can help connect you to a preferred lender or talk to you about getting your information ready to qualify for a loan while we start your search for the perfect house.

Consider the ‘Four C’s’ lenders look for from an article we found on Freddie Mac website…

What is Freddie Mac? Freddie Mac was chartered by Congress in 1970 to keep money flowing to mortgage lenders in support of homeownership and rental housing. Freddie Mac’s statutory mission is to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the U.S. housing market.

When deciding whether to make a loan, lenders evaluate the four Cs:
1• Capacity to pay back the loan. Lenders look at your income, employment history, savings, and monthly debt payments, such as credit card charges and other financial obligations, to make sure that you have the means to take on a mortgage comfortably.

2• Capital. Lenders consider your readily available money and savings plus investments, properties, and other assets that you could sell fairly quickly for cash. Having these reserves proves that you can manage your money and have funds, in addition to your income, to pay the mortgage.

3• Collateral. Lenders take into account the value of the property and other possessions that you’re pledging as security against the loan.

4• Credit. Lenders check your credit score and history to assess your record of paying bills and other debts on time. (Even if you don’t plan to buy a home now, it’s always a good idea to build and maintain strong credit. Landlords often check it to make sure that you can pay the rent. It’s also important if you want to apply for a mortgage or other credit line in the future, such as a student loan, car loan, or credit card.)

Are you thinking about buying residential property to lease? At Hawkins Realty, we know the neighborhoods where you can purchase this type of property and we understand the value of owning this type of real estate. We’ll help you get the gears turning on income producing investment property. Let us help you find investment properties that create a stream of revenue and grow in value.

Here are some tips to consider if you are planning to manage residential properties for investment purposes:

1. There are plenty of tax advantages

Investing in residential real estate comes with numerous tax advantages. You can factor in deductions such as property depreciation, mortgage interest, the cost of repairs to the home.
As always, different people have different tax situations, so be sure to consult your tax professional regarding your personal financial picture.

2. You have a lot of control over your investment

You select the market to buy in, and are not pressured to buy it unless you are happy with the price. Next, you decide on the budget for renovations. You decide if you should hire a property manager. You and/or your property manager select tenants, and set the guidelines for leasing. You decide to hold or sell.

Obviously, not everything is guaranteed and roadblocks will come up, but this is a special asset class where you have a ton of control.

3. The value is in consistent monthly cash flow

Buy and Hold residential investing is beautiful once your property is performing. You mortgage payment goes out, rental income comes in, and hopefully it becomes clockwork on the 1st of every month.

*NOTE: always have cash reserves for when those pesky repair expenses come up*

4. Loan pay down

The amazing thing that some new investors fail to realize when looking at ROI, is the fact that when your property is occupied and cash flowing, your tenant is paying down your principal, interest, taxes, and insurance for you. It’s great! So, even if your property “breaks even” one month due to unexpected repairs or maintenance, you still have someone else paying a majority of your expenses. It is a great way to invest!

5. Look for creative financing options

Pay all cash or get a traditional mortgage? You may think those are the only two options available for buying residential real estate. Luckily, there is a diverse range of additional financing options. Seller financing, getting a loan from a self-directed IRA, private loans, master lease with option to buy … these are just a few creative ways to finance your next investment.

6. Location is so important

Numbers on paper are not everything. It is important to understand your location. That’s where we can help! We know a lot about the growth and changes in this area south of Charlotte.

The last thing you want is to get an unqualified tenant because your property is in a bad neighborhood. We can help you invest in properties located where tenants will be able to afford the rent, and pay.

We service the Piedmont area of South Carolina – Fort Mill, Indian Land, Lake Wylie, Rock Hill, Lancaster and Chester areas. We also handle Mecklenburg, Union, Gaston and Lincoln counties of North Carolina.

Is your dream home on deep water, at the marina, on the golf course, near the tennis courts, near shopping, a horse community, a retirement community, or secluded in the country?

Want your search to be as stress-free as possible? We will make your home search and home purchase a positive experience for you and your family. Let our 35+ years of experience do the work for you!

We have access to all of the York County, Lancaster County SC and Charlotte NC area real estate homes for sale, be it houses–existing and under construction–townhouses, condominiums, multi-family homes, inland or on the water, and even lots and acreage for sale. Call Hawkins Realty today at 803-547-7583.

We look forward to working with you soon!